Particularly in the production of business forms, but in other areas as well, it is desirable to be able to intelligently separate, stack, and deliver individual components. For example, it is desirable to intelligently separate, stack and deliver cut or burst business form from a variety of sources such as inserters, printers, mailing lines, and the like. The forms could be individual cut sheets, bound or fastened packets of sheets, envelopes with or without sheets inside, and the like, and may be sorted in repeatable or variable quantities or as data changes within the forms, such as changes in postal codes. All of these individual elements that may make up the final products are referred to in this specification and claims as "business form components".
According to the method and apparatus of the invention, it is possible to intelligently separate, stack, and deliver business form components in a simple and cost-effective manner, allowing considerable variability in parameters. According to the invention it is possible to sort business form components and stack them up to about four inches high at speeds of the host machine of up to about 300 pieces per minute. Form component length can vary from four inches to 14 inches, and width from 3.5 inches to 12 inches. The number of form components for a particular stack are automatically counted, regardless of the speed, under 300 pieces per minute, or manner in which they are supplied from the host machine, and the number of form components to be provided in any one stack may be varied as the machine is running. Stack separation is determined by scanning data on the form components, a signal from the host machine or fixed count to determine the number of components to be provided in a particular stack. The invention is also, but not exclusively, utilizable for forming business forms from business form components, having pressure sensitive adhesive thereon which pass through a pressure sealer after stacking, to be permanently affixed together.
According to one aspect of the present invention, apparatus is provided for separating business form components (or any like structures) into different jobs. The apparatus comprises: Feed means for automatically feeding business form components in a first direction. Collector means comprising conveying means having a top, conveying, surface continuously running in the first direction, and a movable stop means cooperating with the conveying means top surface, movable between a first position preventing conveyance of business form components past the stop means by the conveying means, and a second position, allowing conveyance of business form components therepast. Sensor means for sensing passage of form components from the feed means to the collector means in the first direction. Control means for controlling the position of the stop means in response to input from the sensor means. And, wherein the collector means comprises means for feeding each successive form component from the feed means into engagement with the conveying means top surface regardless of whether or not other form components are already on the conveying means top surface and engaging the stop means.
The feed means may comprise means for aligning business form components so that one side edge thereof, parallel to the first direction, is in a predetermined position when delivered to the collector means. The aligning means is preferably that described in co-pending application Ser. No. 07/604,858 filed Oct. 26, 1990, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. An adjustable edge guide may be disposed above the conveying means and movable into alignment with the aligning means, or opposite thereto.
The collector means conveying means preferably comprises a plurality of conveyor belts or tapes with the stop means comprising a plurality of stop elements mounted on a shaft, and extending between the belts in the first position. The conveying means also include a first portion closest to the feed means, and a second portion cooperating with the stop means; and wherein the first portion is slanted upwardly from the feed means to the second portion so that a form component stopped by the stop means and in association with the second portion slightly overlaps the first portion, so that a form component passing on the first portion will pass under the business form component already resting on the second portion. Also the apparatus may comprise synchronizing means for selectively engaging business form components when on the conveying means top surface and abutting the stop means to ensure that the components are moved together, synchronously, past the stop means once the stop means are moved to the second position.
According to another aspect of the present invention apparatus is provided comprising: Feed means for automatically feeding business form components in a first direction. Collector means comprising conveying means having a top, conveying, surface for conveying form components in the first direction, and a movable stop means cooperating with the conveying means top surface, movable between a first position preventing conveyance of business form components past the stop means by the conveying means, and a second position, allowing conveyance of business form components therepast. Sensor means for sensing passage of form components from the feed means to the collector means in the first direction. Synchronizing means for selectively engaging business form components when on the conveying means top surface and abutting the stop means to ensure that the components are moved together, synchronously, by the conveying means past the stop means once the stop means is moved to the second position. And, control means for controlling the position of the stop means and the synchronizing means in response to input from the sensor means so that the synchronizing means are operated to engage the business form components in coincidence with movement of the stop means to the second position.
The synchronizing means preferably comprises a first roller mounted above the conveying means and for moving the first roller into contact with the business form components to ensure that they are conveyed together when the stop means is moved to the second position. The synchronizing means further comprises a second, stationary, roller mounted below the first roller and having a peripheral portion at approximately the same vertical position as the top surface of the conveying means, below the first roller. The second roller cooperates with the first roller when the first roller is moved into engagement with business form components on the conveying means top surface, so that business form components are pinched between the rollers. The first and second rollers preferably are disposed at approximately the interface between the first (slanted) and second portions of the conveyor, just past that interface above the second portion.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of separating business form components into separate jobs, for affixing together into a business form, is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a) Continuously feeding business form components in a first direction one at a time to a stacking position. (b) At the stacking position, collecting in a stack the desired number of business form components to construct a business form. (c) Once a stack of a predetermined number of business form components has been collected, immediately and synchronously conveying all of the components in the stack in the first direction toward a forming position. And, (d) at the forming position, forming the business form components in the stack into a business form. Typically, though not necessarily, the business form components have patterns of pressure sensitive adhesive (such as Toppan Moore pressure sensitive adhesive TM-124, a styrene-natural rubber copolymer), and they are sealed by conventional pressure sealing equipment, such as that marketed by Moore Business Forms, Inc. of Lake Forest, Ill. under the trademark "SPEEDISEALER.RTM."; typical apparatus is that shown in co-pending application Ser. No. 07/605,797 filed Oct. 31, 1990. Using such equipment, step (d) is practiced by applying a compressive force to only those portions of the business form components actually having pressure sensitive adhesive associated therewith to seal the form components together with the pressure sensitive adhesive.
Steps (a) and (b) may be practiced so that each successive business form component fed to the stacking position is fed underneath any business form components already at the stacking position. Also the method may be practiced utilizing a stop element on a rotatable shaft which stops movement of the forms when the shaft is substantially vertical. Step (c) is then practiced by: Rotating the shaft approximately 270 degrees in a first direction from the vertical, stop, position of the stop element, to allow passage of forms therepast. Stopping rotation of the shaft at the approximately 270 degree position. And, after the form components in a stack have completely passed the stop element, rotating the shaft approximately 90 degrees in the first direction so that the stop element is back in its vertical, stop, position.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a simple and effective method and apparatus for intelligently separating, stacking, and delivering business form components or the like. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.